Hold Animal

[cirerrek]

CLERIC_HOLD_ANIMAL {3} [spPr305 - 1305]

 

Hold Animal Effect has a -3 save penalty that isn't mentioned in the description.

 

Also, the description states a casting time of 5, but the actual ability says a casting time of 6.

[CamDawg]

// hold animal has incorrect casting time and has a spurious save penalty
COPY_EXISTING ~sppr305.spl~ ~override~
 READ_LONG  0x64 "abil_off"
 READ_SHORT 0x68 "abil_num"
 READ_LONG  0x6a "fx_off"
 READ_SHORT 0x70 "fx_num"
 FOR (index = 0; index < abil_num; index = index + 1) BEGIN // look through abilities
   WRITE_SHORT ("%abil_off%" + 0x12 + ("%index%" * 0x28)) 5  // casting time
   READ_SHORT  ("%abil_off%" + 0x1e) "abil_fx_num"
   READ_SHORT  ("%abil_off%" + 0x20) "abil_fx_idx"
   FOR (index2 = 0; index2 < abil_fx_num; index2 = index2 + 1) BEGIN
     WRITE_LONG ("%fx_off%" + 0x28 + (0x30 * ("%abil_fx_idx%" + "%index2%"))) 0 // save bonus
   END
 END
 BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

[devSin]

AFAIK, the saving throw type wasn't even mentioned in the description. I'm not really concerned about this spell (really, who would ever waste a memorization slot on this dud?), but a lot of the hold spells have weird saves (I think), and there's no evidence in the description what the canonical saves should be.

 

Bug, or intent?

[BigRob]

In PnP 2nd Edition, hold spells would affect a random number of creatures within the area of effect and there was a penalty to the save if fewer creatures were hit by it. This could be the source of the penalty in game, though I don't know if they're controlling for numbers affected when they dole it out.